For the longest time, NBA card collectors who took the chance on Donovan Mitchell rookie cards have waited for so long for him to break out and dominate the league. Years have gone by and the most he has taken the Utah Jazz was two trips to the Western Conference Semifinals in 2018 and 2021. Of course, there's a good chance the All-Star guard can break the mold and become a better player now that he's playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The thing is, his stock in the market is doing quite well with recent strong performances against Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. We take a look down below at why collectors should pay more attention to Mitchell and the reasons why his trade to the Cavs is what his stock sorely needs in the hobby.

Donovan Mitchell and his massive leap with the Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Lauri Markkanen

With five seasons spent in Utah, Mitchell has evolved into one of the best guards in the league today. Keep in mind that when he entered the NBA as the Jazz' 13th pick in the 2017 Draft, expectations were low since Gordon Hayward went to the Boston Celtics that season. But even with a young rookie helming the team's offense, Utah surprised everyone that finishing fifth in the regular season with 48-34 record and reaching the Western Conference semifinals where they bowed down to the Houston Rockets.

During his rookie year, Mitchell showed everyone why he can be the future when he averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He would continue to improve over the following four years, eventually leading the Jazz to top the Western Conference, but never really going far in the postseason. Overall, Mitchell's averages of 23.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game during his stint in Utah were really good, but not enough to take his team over the hump.

After the 2021-22 season, there were rumors that Spidah himself wants out of Utah and play for the New York Knicks. While the first part was true, the latter didn't materialize as Mitchell was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks, and two pick swaps. Thanks to this trade, the Cavs have gained an elite offensive guard to pair up with Darius Garland. Not only that but Mitchell's defensive woes are now covered by the likes of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. These details, in turn, have worked magic for those Donovan Mitchell cards in the market right now.

In the six games Mitchell has played for the Cavs, the All-Star guard is currently averaging 39 minutes per game producing 32.2 points on 49% shooting from the field, 45% from beyond the arc, and 85% from the free throw line. Along with those numbers, Mitchell is also contributing 4.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals. Even his offensive and defensive box scores have jumped up to 6.9 and 1.5 respectively. For comparison, Mitchell enjoyed a 4.6 offensive rating and -0.3 defensive box score the season before when he played last for the Jazz.

Mitchell's current stint with the Cavs is highlighted by his recent performance against the Boston Celtics. In 45 minutes on the court, the All-Star shooting guard notched 41 points, including eight 3-pointers made, 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. In the end, Mitchell and Caris LeVert, who scored 41 points himself, got over the Celtics with an impressive 132-123 victory.

As it stands, the numbers point show that Mitchell is taking a leap in Cleveland. It remains to be seen whether this kind of performance is sustainable throughout the whole regular season or not. NBA card collectors would also have to wait whether the All-Star can go deep in the postseason with the Cavs and do something he has never done in Utah – make at least the Easter Conference Finals. In any case, things are looking good right now for those Donovan Mitchell rookie cards in the market.

The state of Donovan Mitchell rookie cards in the market

When it comes to the 2017 Draft Class, the clear winner for years has always been Jayson Tatum. Even if that's the case, Mitchell's stock in the NBA card market isn't a bad one, especially now that it's rising through the ranks.

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Donovan Mitchell, Cavs, Cards

In a three-month graph by Card Ladder, Mitchell's PSA 10 2017 Prizm Silver rookie card has gone up from $400, peaked at $700 when he was traded, and dropped to $330 a few weeks later. The thing is, his stellar performance in a Cavs jersey has lifted his value back up to $555. Looking at the numbers, that's almost a 39%  increase in price from where it was when August started.

The verdict on Donovan Mitchell cards

Those who have invested in Donovan Mitchell rookie cards over the offseason, or even before that, can unload them now that the Cavs' star is doing pretty well on the court. There's no saying he can sustain this kind of performance, suffer an injury, or fail to lead Cleveland to a deep playoff run for sure. In any case, selling now would be a good idea to make some profit for him.

For those buying, it would be reasonable to wait it out a bit until his prices have cooled down. When that happens, it's best to go low on him so collectors can make the most out of those Donovan Mitchell cards when he potentially balls out in the postseason. Until then, keep an eye out for the All-Star guard on the court and in the market in the coming months.